Samsung ST150F Review

Features
Handling
Performance
Verdict
Specification



The Samsung ST150F is a compact camera with a 5x optical zoom lens and built in Wi-Fi sharing, available in a number of colours, with a very compact plastic body it fits easily into pockets.

Samsung ST150F Features

A 5x optical zoom lens and 16 megapixel sensor take care of photos. On the rear is a 3inch screen, and the camera comes with a number of intelligent shooting modes, numerous scene modes, and built in effects.

One of the most appealing features is its Wi-Fi connectivity, meaning you can send photos to Facebook, Picasa, Photobucket or email with videos uploaded to YouTube. You can also upload to a cloud service, meaning you can backup your photos and then delete some, creating space to take more pictures. The Samsung Mobile link app makes it possible to send your images to your smartphone or tablet. Images can also be saved to your PC with auto backup.

Key Features 

• 16.2 megapixel CCD sensor
• 5x optical zoom lens, 25mm equivalent wide-angle
• Digital image stabilisation
• 3inch screen, 230k dot resolution
• Wi-Fi Sharing
• 720p video
• ISO80 - ISO3200
• 5cm macro mode
• MicroSD slot
• Available in white, pink, silver, blue

Samsung ST150F Handling

The camera is compact with a plastic body, with the on/off and shutter release with zoom control. On the back is the home and menu buttons, as well as direct Wi-Fi sharing button. The Home button lets you choose from the large variety of shooting modes, while the Menu button lets you set shooting options. There's also quick access to flash, macro and self-timer on the 4-way controller, with play and delete buttons underneath. There is little to grip on to either at the front or the back, so the use of the provided wrist strap is highly recommended to stop you from dropping the camera. The camera is extremely compact making it easy to put into small pockets.



The menus are clear and easy to navigate, with the modes all represented with clear colourful icons spread over a number of screens, with text to say what the mode is as well. The screen is clear enough, at 3inches.



The main attractions when using the W-Fi are the ability to upload straight to Facebook and connecting to a smartphone to transfer pictures and use as a mobile viewfinder. It's all as simple as connecting to your Wi-Fi and following the on-screen instructions. To work with smartphones, you'll also need to download apps on those devices. Battery life rating isn't provided by Samsung, however we were able to take a decent number of shots without having to recharge the battery.

Samsung ST150F Performance

Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.

Samsung ST150F Sample Photos

Sample Photos - Some red-eye is visible in the portrait photo with flash, although colour is good. Colour and exposure are good, with good colour reproduction.

Samsung ST150F Lens test images

Lens Performance - Images show soft corners at the wide end of the lens, although detail is generally good in the rest of the image, as well as when zoomed in. Digital zoom is best avoided unless you plan on sharing on website such as Facebook where the image will be resized. Some purple fringing is visible, although this is most noticable in areas of high contrast, and wasn't too much of a problem in most shots. Dynamic range is decent, and can be extended using the backlighting scene mode.

Samsung ST150F ISO test images

ISO Noise Performance - Noise is low at ISO80 and ISO100. Noise increases at ISO200, with a slight loss in detail. Noise increases again at ISO400 with further detail loss. Images become softer at ISO800, although results still appear usable. Noise is highest at ISO3200, with lots of detail loss, and this setting is best avoided, although ISO1600 may provide useful results, particularly if resized.

Samsung ST150F White-balance test images

White Balance Performance - Auto White Balance (AWB) performs well under tungsten lighting with a slightly warm result, and the tungsten preset gives a more neutral result. AWB performs extremely well under fluorescent lighting, with the fluorescent preset giving a slight colour cast, so it's best to stick to AWB balance.


Panoramic | 1/250 sec | f/9.2 | 4.5 mm | ISO 320

Panorama mode - The panoramic mode lets you pan the camera from one side to another while holding the shutter button down. The camera automatically stitches the image together while you shoot. The resolution is low, and detail is also poor, so these are best used for sharing on the web.

Samsung ST150F Digital filters

Digital Filters - There are a number of scene modes, frame options, as well as digital effects available, including: miniature, vignette, art effects, cross screen, sketch, soft focus, fisheye, old film, half-tone, monochrome, retro, zoom, as well as a number of split shot options.

Video - Video is recorded at 720p (1280x720) at 30fps with mono sound, and optical zoom is available while recording. You can also pause the video while recording. Quality is reasonable, although it would benefit from optical image stabilisation which this camera does not feature.

Value For Money

The Samsung ST150F is available for £99 which makes it good value for money for a compact camera with built in Wi-Fi, and is up against the following cameras:

Samsung WB30F, 10x optical zoom, Wi-Fi, £119
Nikon Coolpix S5200, 6x optical zoom, Wi-Fi, £165
Panasonic Lumix SZ5, 10x optical zoom, Wi-Fi, £89
Canon IXUS 240, 5x optical zoom, touchscreen, Wi-Fi, £99
Canon IXUS 140, 8x optical zoom, Wi-Fi, £160

You'll also need to buy a memory card and a case or bag to keep your camera safe and protected - have a look at our complete guide to camera bags.

Samsung ST150F Verdict

The Samsung ST150F is a very compact camera, with a 3inch screen, and a wide-angle 5x optical zoom lens. As a Samsung camera with built in Wi-Fi, it has one of the easiest to use Wi-Fi systems currently available and this makes it very easy to share images and video straight to social network sites, straight from the camera. For this reason, it's worth looking at, although, for just a little bit more money you could have a look at the Samsung WB30F with 10x optical zoom lens.

Samsung ST150F Pros

f/2.5 wide-angle lens
Excellent Wi-Fi sharing
Very compact
Good value for money
Available in a number of colours

Samsung ST150F Cons

Low resolution screen
Soft corners in images
Lacks grip
720p video

FEATURES
HANDLING
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY
VERDICT

Samsung ST150F Specifications

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